AFP/PNP violating human rights in Baybay?

Our special presentation on our talkshow on Straight from the Sky, we bring you a talk about the Cebu News Multipurpose Cooperative (Newscoop). Newscoop was created in 1996 by the Cebu Newspaper Workers Foundation (Cenewof) in order to help the working media in Cebu, which was the original mandate of Cenewof when it was created in 1980 by the late Supreme Court Justice and Senate President Marcelo “Celing” Fernan with then SunStar Daily publisher Pacheco “Cheking” Seares.

Seventeen years later, we are proud to say that Newscoop has grown and developed into a multi-million peso cooperative owned by the working media in Cebu. It is something that the working media in Cebu owns themselves. But I don’t want to pre-empt this report, this is why we have with us Mr. Ely Baquero, Chairman, Inday Malou Guanzon Apalisok and Ms. Evelyn Sarsale, Manager of Newscoop who will tell you their wonderful story. So watch this story of Newscoop in SkyCable’s channel 61 at 8:00pm with replays on Wednesday and Saturday and replays also on MyTV channel 30 M-W-F.

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Last week, I was supposed to meet up with Baybay City mayoralty candidate Marilou “Malot” Galenzoga who apparently got my cellphone number from my fellow Star columnist Carmen “Chit” Pedrosa because I wrote about the incident that was reported here in The Freeman early July that gave a rather unclear report about what happened in Baybay City last July 1st. 

Unfortunately, Malot Galenzoga had to leave earlier than expected and cancelled our meeting. But she emailed me the story of what happened in Baybay City on July 1st and sent me photos of that incident. What happened in Baybay City is concrete proof that the last May 10th elections was far from peaceful and honest… especially in Baybay City. Allow me to reprint excerpts that report from Ms. Galenzoga describing the photos.

“At the wee hours of July 1, 2013, policemen raided the residences of Marilou “Malot” Galenzoga in Baybay City, Leyte, following the earlier rally. The upper left photo shows supporters were ordered to drop the ground at gunpoint. Lower left photo shows a truck with no plate number but owned by the City of Baybay, which was used to ram the steel gates of the residence to forcibly open it. There were no search warrants… no warrants of arrests.”

What happened in Baybay City was that, Marilou “Malot” Galenzoga challenged incumbent Mayor Carmen Loreto Cari in the last elections. While Mayor Cari allegedly won that elections… as we all know, even before 50 percent of the vote was being counted… Mayor Cari was already proclaimed winner, which then sparked the huge protest on June 30th in front of City Hall.

This protest triggered that unexpected police action that wasn’t covered by any search warrant nor warrants of arrests against the supporters of Malot Galenzoga. I saw those photos that Malot sent me and let me say it clearly that the police and the military are supposed to be apolitical. But clearly I can discern from those photographs that there was police and military brutality and I would like to believe that the Human Rights Commission (HRC) should investigate this case.

In a communiqué sent to me last Saturday, Malot Galenzoga said, “We, the prime movers of Change 2013 in Leyte, are now seeking refuge here in Metro Manila to escape from the ruthless dictator in Baybay, Leyte. A reign of terror now grips the whole city as countless civilians (men, women and children and senior citizens) were rounded up by means of a warrantless arrest, torture and arbitrary detention. These are glaring violations of the Constitution and Human Rights which the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police are sworn to protect. The blatant display of V150 tanks, armed to the teeth military and the PNP paramilitary forces of the Cari-Loreto-Petilla Dynasty, particularly the CIS-CIDG, the LEAG and prisoners from the Baybay Provincial Jail were the primary forces in doing all these dastardly act.”

I wrote a teaser article in The Philippine Star last July 6th about this incident when I got that report from The Freeman and I’m glad that Malot Galenzoga emailed me her own report. Sure, I submit that I have no way of getting information from Mayor Cari… but when I wrote my Star column about this incident, I never got any reply from her camp.

At this point, let me say it loud and clear… if the communist insurgency is still very much a problem in Leyte, it is due to the fact that the 78IB cannot be trusted to protect the people. The military and the PNP have become the tools or minions of political dynasties instead of defending the people. It reminds me of the dark years of Martial Law… but this time, it is sadly happening under an Aquino Presidency. Things haven’t really changed.

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